Theft-proof bottle container



United States Patent 3,363,776 THEFT-PROOF BOTTLE CONTAINER Robert M.Bailey, 1805 Radford St.,

El Paso, Tex. 79903 Filed July 1, 1966, Ser. No. 562,308 14 Claims. (Cl.211-74) This invention relates to a container for receiving bottles andfor preventing unauthorized removal of hottles from the container. Inparticular, this invention contemplates a rack for a plurality ofbottles which may b installed in a commercial establishment whereby aplurality of bottles may be inserted in the bottle rack at will by anyperson but once inserted will be locked in the container to prevent theunauthorized removal of the bottles therefrom. Such containers may alsohave application and utility for receiving milk bottles and the like inhomes and other establishments.

An object of this invention is the provision of a container forpreventing the unauthorized removal of bottles therefrom.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a container foreasily receiving a plurality of bottles and for preventing theunauthorized removal of the bottles from the container.

Yet another object of this invention is the provision of a novel andsimple lock mechanism for preventing the unauthorized removal of bottlesfrom the container.

An additional object of this invention is the provision of a novel tripmechanism for locking bottles in place in a container.

Other objects of this invention will appear from the followingspecification and the drawings to which reference is now made.

FIGURE 1 is a front view of the cover of the container of this inventionshowing a plurality of bottle-receiving apertures.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of a single aperture and its associated lockmechanism shown in partial cross-section taken substantially along line2--2 in the direction of the arrows as shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the lock mechanism taken from substantiallythe same view as FIGURE 2 but showing the mechanism in its lockedposition.

FIGURE 4 is a view of the inside of the cover show ing portions of thelock mechanism taken substantially along line 4-4 in the direction ofthe arrows as shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a top view of the lock mechanism of this invention.

Reference is made now to FIGURE 1 which shows the front cover of thecontainer of this invention. The side and rear surfaces may be ofconventional construction and are not shown for purposes of clarity.Included in cover 10 may be one or more apertures 12 for receiving abottle. Preferably, the cover 10 may be hinged by one or more hinges 14to permit its movement to permit access to the bottles and the lockmechanism. Of course, other forms of movement may be provided. Forexample, it would be possible simply to secure the cover over the sidesof the container and to lift the cover therefrom.

Referring now to FIGURES 2, 3, 4 and 5, the lock mechanism of thisinvention includes a locking plate 16 which is preferably slidablymounted by a plurality of guides 18 and 21) to the inside of the frontcover 10 to permit its reciprocable motion from its locked to itsunlocked position. Locking cover 16 may include a plurality of pins orprojections 22 and 24 which facilitate the locking and unlocking motionof the locking cover plate 16 as will be described. A stop 26 isprovided at the bottom of the locking plate 16 to limit its downwardmovement.

Lock means are provided for maintaining the locking plate in its lockingposition in which it covers at least a portion of the bottle receivingaperture when it is moved to its locking position by a mechanism to bedescribed hereinafter. The locking mechanism is best shown in FIG- URES2 and 3 and comprises a bolt 28 which is biased toward cover 16 by aspring 30 and is slidably received in a barrel 32 which is in turnsupported by an upright support 34 secured to a plate 36. Plate 36 maybe secured by a plurality of pins 38 and 40 to a support base 42 whichis in turn supported by a plurality of cross bars 44 and 46. The crossbars 44 and 46 may support a plurality of such support bases in a rowcorresponding to a row of bottle receiving apertures. Support base 42includes upright sides 48 and 50. An operator knob 52 may be providedfor manual operation of bolt 28 if desired. It will be apparent from thedrawings that when the locking plate 16 is in the unlocked position, asshown in FIGURE 2, the bolt 28 is biased toward. the cover plate 10 andrests against locking plate 16 in the manner shown. As the locking plate16 is moved upwardly the bolt 28 will move under the bottom edge of thelocking plate 16 to maintain locking plate 16 in the locked position. Itwill also be apparent that when the cover 10 is opened, for example aspivoted on hinges 14, the locking plate 16 is moved away from bolt 28permitting locking plate 16 to slide down to its unlocked position.Thus, removal or opening of cover 10 automatically returns all thelocking plates to their unlocked position.

Movement of locking plate 16 from its unlocked position, as shown inFIGURE 2, to its locked position, as shown in FIGURE 3, is accomplishedby a pivoted memher or trip pedal 54 which carries on the end thereof anengaging Wire or member 56 which selectively engages pins 22 and 24 onlocking cover 16. Pedal 54 is pivoted by a pin 58 at a point between theends thereof. In the preferred embodiment a bias spring 60, best shownin FIGURE 4, biases the proximate end of the pedal 54 to which theengaging means 56 is attached in the doWnward direction thus resistingany depressing movement of the distal end of pedal 54. When a bottle isinserted in the aperture 12, however, the weight of the bottle depressesthe distal end of pedal 54 against the bias force of spring 60. As thedistal end of pedal 54 is depressed the pedal pivots about ends 58moving engaging wire 56, which is in engagement with pins 22 and 24, inthe upward direction, thereby moving locking plate 16 to its lockedposition where it is secured by bolt 28 as previously described. It willbe understood, of course, that it is not necessary that the weight ofthe bottle actuate pedal 54. The mere insertion of the bottle may, ifdesired, be caused to depress the distal end of pedal 54 to lock thebottle in the container.

Bias spring 16, or any other desired bias means such as weights, etc.,serves two functions. First, it prevents pivotal movement of pedal 54thereby preventing movement of pedal 54 to its locked position andconsequently movement of locking plate 16 to its locked position at alltimes except when a bottle is inserted in the aperture 12. Secondly,bias spring 16 causes pedal 54 automatically to return to its unlockedposition upon removal of the bottle from contact therewith. It will thusbe seen that upon opening of the cover of the container of thisinvention all the locking plates are automatically reset and by removalof the bottles from the container, all the locking mechanisms areautomatically reset. Upon closure of the cover, the bolts 28 will againrest against locking plate 16 in the manner shown in FIGURE 2.

A container, which is preferably made of metal such as steel oraluminum, has been described and illustrated in the drawings whichaccomplishes the objects of the invention set out hereinbefore. Theutility and convenience of the invention will be apparent from itssimplicity, dependability of operation, and its economy in construction.While the primary object of this invention is the provision of acontainer for a plurality of bottles, it will be realized that a singlebottle container incorporating the inventive locking concept may beprovided for home use. For example, such a container may be secured inor near the entrance to a home for reception of a bottle or a pluralityof bottles to be placed there by the milkman. The cover to the containermay be locked by any conventional locking means and the key may be inthe possession only of the owner of the premises. Thus, only by openingthe cover of the container may the bottles be removed therefrom. Thiswill effectively prevent theft of bottles and like containers.

It is contemplated that this invention will find its primary utility inapplication in commercial establishments, however. A significant problemexist-s in such establishments which are provided with vending machinesto dispense soft drinks or other beverages in bottles or similarcontainers. Frequently there is a deposit required for the removal ofbottles from the premises and in such establishments bottles are rarelyremoved from the premises by the persons working there. However, whenthe empty bottles are placed in racks it is not infrequent thatindividuals may steal the bottles from the racks and take them to storesor other commercial establishments to receive the deposit on thebottles. The provision of one or more racks of the type described hereinwill effectively prevent theft of the bottles in this manner.

While the invention has been described with reference to particularmechanisms and to specific embodiments, it is intended that theseembodiments and mechanisms be included merely as exemplary of theinvention and not in a limiting sense. Obvious changes in particularconstructional details, the specific nature of certain of the individualoperating mechanisms, and similar features may be made by personsskilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.The invention is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A theft-proof bottle container comprising a cover including thereinan aperture for receiving a bottle,

a locking plate for selectively covering at least part of the apertureto prevent removal of the bottle, lock means for maintaining the lockingplate in a position covering at least part of the aperture, and

bottle actuatable trip means for moving the locking plate to its lockedposition covering at least part of the bottle receiving aperture inresponse to the insertion of a bottle in the aperture.

2. The invention of claim 1 further including guide means secured to theinside of the cover and wherein the locking plate is received in theguide means for slidable movement between its unlocked and its lockedpositions.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the lock means comprises a memberbiased toward the locking plate for automatically moving under the loweredge thereof when the locking plate is moved to its locked position.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein the bottle actuatable trip meanscomprises a pivoted member and engaging means on the proximate end ofthe pivoted member for engaging and moving the locking plate to itslocked position when the distal end of the pivoted member moves inresponse to the insertion of a bottle in the aperture.

5. The invention of claim 4 further including a projection on thelocking plate for engagement with the engaging means on the proximateend of the pivoted member.

6. The invention of claim 4 further including bias means for biasing thepivoted member toward the bottom of the locking plate to preventmovement of the pivoted member to its locked position except when abottle is inserted in the aperture overcoming the force of the biasmeans.

7. The invention of claim 4 wherein the pivoted member is caused to movein response to the weight of the bottle.

8. The invention of claim 1 wherein the trip means is actuated by theweight of the bottle.

9. The invention of claim 1 wherein opening of the cover disengages thelocking plate from the lock means to permit the locking plate to returnto its unlocked position and further including means for returning thetrip means to the unlocked position upon removal of the bottle.

19. The invention of claim 4 further including means slidably mountingthe locking plate on the inside of the cover to permit the locking plateto disengage the lock means upon opening of the cover and furtherincluding means for automatically returning the pivoted member to itsopen position when the bottle is removed from contact therewith.

11. The invention of claim 1 further including means slidably mountingthe locking plate on the inside of the cover,

pins projecting inwardly from the locking plate,

and wherein the trip means comprises a trip pedal,

pivot means supporting the pedal at a point between the ends thereof,and

an engaging member on the proximate end of the pedal for selectivelyengaging the pins on the locking plate for moving the locking plate toits locked position when the distal end of the trip pedal is depressedby the bottle.

12. The invention of claim 11 further including bias means resisting thedepressing action of the bottle on the distal end of the pedal.

13. The invention of claim 1 wherein the bottle container includes aplurality of apertures with the associated locking mechanism includedtherewith and wherein the bottle actuatable trip means is responsive tothe weight of the bottle.

14. The invention of claim 1 including a plurality of apertures in thecover for receiving a plurality of bottles and a locking mechanismassociated with each of said apertures further including means slidablymounting the locking plates on the inside of the cover,

a plurality of pins projecting inwardly from each of the locking plates;

wherein the lock means comprises a bolt, and

bias means urging the bolt toward the cover to force under the bottomedge of the locking plate to maintain the locking plate in its lockedposition only while the cover is closed; and

wherein the trip means comprises a trip pedal,

pivot means supporting the pedal at a point between the ends thereof,

an engaging member on the proximate end of the trip pedal forselectively engaging the pins on the locking plate for moving thelocking plate to its locked position when the distal end of the trippedal is depressed by the weight of the bottle, and

spring bias means resisting the weight of the bottle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,361,077 10/1944 Albrecht 220-973,199,708 8/1965 Shlesinger 217-19 CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, PrimaryExaminer.

